Adjustable gate



R. GOTTLIEB ADJUSTABLE GATE Dec. 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 7, 1962 E .m WW 5 mm 1? NG m MT W R K 5 m B W W ATTORNEYS Dec. 29, 1964 R. GOTTLIEB ADJUSTABLE GATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 7, 1962 FIG.

FIG-4 INVENTOR. ROBERT GOTTLIEB United States Patent 3,163,205 ADJUSTABLE GATE Robert Gottiieh, 3020 78th St., Jackson Heights, N.Y. Filed June 7, 1962, 'Ser. No. 269,879 3 Claims. (Cl. 169-216) This invention relates to gate or barrier structures and more particularly to adjustable gates for obstructing exits,

passageways and the like.

The invention will be described in terms of an embodiment adapted particularly for installation in the home to prevent children from entering or leaving prescribed areas.

One object of the invention is to provide a gate with improved installation functions including improved positioning, locking and adjusting features.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a gate which, although economical in manufacture, is nevertheless durable, attractive and susceptible of a wide range of ornamentation.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

Serving to illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the invention are the drawings of which: 1

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of an adjustable gate constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a detail view on enlarged scale of a section of the gate of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURES 3 and 4 are detail views on enlarged scale illustrating the locking mechanism of the embodiment of FIGURE 1 in the locked position (FIGURE 3) and released position (FIGURE 4).

As seen in FIGURES 1 and 2 the gate according to the invention comprises a pair of panels A and B each comprising a generally rectangular frame 10 serving as a support for a respective flexible panel covering of relatively open mesh material 11 such as nylon which is secured as by stitches to a flexible border 12 which may be any suitable material such as cloth-backed vinyl. Border sections 12 each enfold a respective side of the associated frame 10 and the overlapping edges of each border section are joined together as by the aforementioned stitching.

Panel B is fixedly secured to and disposed between a pair of spaced struts 14 as by brackets 15 which are secured to respective corners of the corresponding frame 10; the panel is slidably coupled to and disposed between another pair of struts 16 as by members 17, the shanks of which are each secured to one of the other corners of the respective frame 10. The curved portion of each member 17 is designed to partially circumscribe and to be slidable with respect to the respective strut 16.

Panel A is fixed to and disposed between the struts 16 as by brackets 19, each of which is secured as by riveting to a respective corner of the frame 10 of panel A and to the adjacent strut. Strut pairs 14 and 16 are in telescoping relationship, the latter receiving the former; each strut is provided with a resilient contact member 18 at its distal end.

It may be seen from the foregoing that the panels A and B are movable into more or less overlapping relationship depending on the telescoping of each strut 14 in the respective strut 16. Hence, the overall width of the gate is ad justable so that it may be fitted between any of differently spaced walls or posts 22. Unlike conventional scissor- 3,163,265 Patented Dec. 29, 1964 "ice type gates, the height of the illustrated embodiment does not vary with the width thereof. Moreover, no anchors, pivots or other fastening means are required in the walls or posts adjacent the gate since the gate is resiliently pressfitted between the walls with the aid of resilient contacts 18 and additional means described below. Further, this resilient press-fitting enables the vertical position of the gate to be readily changed and in conjunction with the point contacts effected by elements 18, also provides compensation for lack of parallelism between or irregularities in the walls 22. 7

Means for insuring the resilient installation above described and for firmly locking the gate in its installed position are also provided. As embodied there are two such means each of which includes a rack section 30 integrally formed longitudinally in the wall of respective strut 14 and a toothed catch 31 slidably confined in a bracket 32 which is fixedly clamped in turn to the respective strut 16.

Each catch 31 is pivotally attached to the oifset end of a respective link 33 as by a pin 34 while the other end of 33 is pivotally connected as by pin 35 to an intermediate point on the respective actuating lever 36. One end of 36 is pivotally connected as by pin 37 to a bracket 38 fixedly clamped to the respective strut 16 while the opposite end of 36 functions as a handle.

Movement of each handle 36 towards the adjacent strut 14, produces movement of the respective toothed catch 31 towards rack section 30 and also towards the remote end of associate strut 14. This motion of 31 is guided and regulated by slots 40 in the flanged sectionof bracket 32 and respective pins 41 on the catch 31 which ride in these slots. The resultant component motions of the catch 31 in each locking and pressing mechanism acts to roduce engagement between the catch and the respective rack 30, thus coupling panel A and struts 14 to panel B and struts 16; this motion also produces a separation of the panels and their respective struts as eachcatch 31 moves longitudinally towards its final position. separation action serves to supplement and augment the initial fitting of the gate between walls 22 and further acts, particularly in view of the mechanical advantage of the separating means, to compress the contacts 18 so that a resilient forcecontinuously urges the gate into its installed position in contact with walls 22.

At the point where full separation is achieved as described above, each handle 36 has passed over an extension piece 44 fastened on the respective link 33; each handle is held in this locked position by a detent tab 45 integral with the respective extension 44. For unlocking the gate sections, each extension 44 is depressed thus freeing the corresponding handle 36. Since two locking and pressing mechanisms are provided for each strut combination 14, 16, further compensation is provided for insuring secure installation of the gate to even irregular or angulated walls.

The invention is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. A gate of adjustable width adapted for press-fitted installation at any of a plurality of heights between 0pposing spaced vertical surfaces for obstructing passage therebetween comprising at least two separable gate sections each including panel means, means on the side edges of said sections for resiliently contacting said surfaces and upper and lower struts on one section slidably engaging 7 tacting means on each section into engagement with said This surfaces, and means for adjustably positioning one cooperating pair of struts, the last said means comprising a rack on one of said struts, a pawl and toggle means carried by the cooperating strut on said other section, said toggle means including a pair of links movableto and from an'in-line position for longitudinal displacement of said pawl, and means carried by said other strut and griding said pawl into engagement with said rack as the links are moved toward the in linel position, said links then moving'said struts outwardly one relative to the other as the links are moved into said in-line position.

. 2. A g ate according to claim 1 wherein the other pair of cooperating struts include corresponding means for adjustably positioning them one relative to the other. i

3. A gate according to claim 1 wherein said struts are tubular and cooperating struts of said one section tele-;

scope within the struts of said other section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Quinlan Dec. 4, 1951 

1. A GATE OF ADJUSTABLE WIDTH ADAPTED FOR PRESS-FITTED INSTALLATION AT ANY OF A PLURALITY OF HEIGHTS BETWEEN OPPOSING SPACED VERTICAL SURFACES FOR OBSTRUCTING PASSAGE THEREBETWEEN COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO SEPARABLE GATE SECTIONS EACH INCLUDING PANEL MEANS, MEANS ON THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID SECTIONS FOR RESILIENTLY CONTACTING SAID SURFACES AND UPPER AND LOWER STRUTS ON ONE SECTION SLIDABLY ENGAGING COOPERATING UPPER AND LOWER STRUTS ON SAID OTHER SECTION FOR GUIDING SEPARATION OF SAID SECTIONS WHEREBY THE OVERALL WIDTH OF SAID GATE MAY BE ADJUSTED TO MOVE SAID CONTACTING MEANS ON EACH SECTION INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SURFACES, AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY POSITIONING ONE COOPERATING PAIR OF STRUTS, THE LAST SAID MEANS COMPRISING A RACK ON ONE OF SAID STRUTS, A PAWL AND TOGGLE MEANS CARRIED BY THE COOPERATING STRUT ON SAID OTHER SECTION, SAID TOGGLE MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF LINKS MOVABLE TO AND FROM AN IN-LINE POSITION FOR LONGITUDINAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID PAWL, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID OTHER STRUT AND GUIDING SAID PAWL INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RACK AS THE LINKS ARE MOVED TOWARD THE IN-LINE POSITION, SAID LINKS THEN MOVING SAID STRUTS OUTWARDLY ONE RELATIVE TO THE OTHER AS THE LINKS ARE MOVED INTO SAID IN-LINE POSITION. 